Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
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'Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' remaster gets new release date of August 27th
After several delays, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition is now slated to be released August 27, 2020, publisher Square Enix announced.
Square Enix delays ‘Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles’ remaster (again)
If you've been patiently waiting to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition, you'll have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the remake. Publisher Square Enix has delayed the launch of the game to summer 2020.
'Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' remaster arrives January 23rd, 2020
Square Enix's recent bout of Final Fantasy nostalgia isn't ending any time soon. The publisher has announced that the remastered Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles will reach Android, iOS, PS4 and Switch on January 23rd, 2020. The previously GameCube-only action RPG receives the requisite graphics and audio upgrades to drag it into the modern era (including new voiceovers for combat), but also promises its share of functional improvements over the original.
The 10 best GameCube exclusives (other than the obvious)
Three days ago marked the Xbox's tenth anniversary -- which means today is the GameCube's tenth. Those two systems are emblematic of the rift between "core" and "casual" gaming that formed seemingly around them -- nobody really thought there was a difference in previous generations, but the contrast between the Mountain Dew-green, imposing Xbox and the family-friendly, lunchbox-shaped, honestly adorable GameCube underscored the growing divide. Just as we did with the Xbox, we're celebrating the GameCube today with a look at ten of its exclusive titles. More of these led to sequels and ports elsewhere, but in almost every case, there was some aspect of the game that never "clicked" away from the GameCube. Oh, and we're not listing the obvious ones. Yes, we all liked Smash Bros. and Zelda. Where's the fun in bringing those up again? After the break, find an utterly arbitrary list of GameCube games we liked. But first, we have to begin properly: like this.
Swag Sunday: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii) [update]
Update: We've chosen a winner, closed the comments, and started the ceremonial "choose a winner" dance. We'll have an email out to them shortly, so check those inboxes! We're no strangers to the occasional strange Wii game giveaway here at Joystiq, but you must understand that someone needs to find a loving home for these niche gems. We have to imagine that, somewhere, there's a Wii-owning airship pilot to-be aching for their chance to shine. That time is now! For a chance to win one copy of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, all you have to do is tell us what you would name your very own airship (an explanation of 'why' would be nice too). As is always the case, please keep it clean and keep your eye on your email over the next few days to see if you've won. You've got 24 hours, folks -- get to it! Leave a comment telling us what you would name your very own airship (an explanation of 'why' would be nice too). You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, partially based on our feelings about the Battle of Quebec in 1775). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 5:31PM ET on Monday, February 15. At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for Nintendo Wii ($49.99 ARV). For a list of complete rules, click here. %Gallery-70584% What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Snap Judgment: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
When we review a game without finishing it, we call it a Snap Judgment. Read why here. Time played: 10 hours Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is a game with seemingly no built-in audience. There aren't any Final Fantasy fans, that I can imagine, who love the series but hate all that role-playing and complexity, and there's likely a very small portion of the fanbase that love the Crystal Chronicles universe, but hate multiplayer. Because of that, because of the current climate for third-party Wii games, and because of the sizeable budget and long development time that went into this project, Crystal Bearers is a bold experiment that's unlikely to be repeated. Which is a shame, because I've really enjoyed what I've played so far, and I feel like some small tweaks in a sequel could make a truly great game out of what is currently an interesting, flawed (and very, very strange) game.
Crystal Bearers dives into Europe February 5
The good news: no Boxing Day shopping trips are in store for European gamers eager to telekinetically grab Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. The (relatively) bad news: that's because it's coming out more than a month later. Square Enix announced today that Crystal Bearers will be available in PAL territories on February 5, 2010. As waits for Final Fantasy games go, it doesn't seem that bad. In fact, with the game being released on a normal day instead of the day after Christmas, maybe someone in Europe will notice its release -- something we suspect may be a problem for a game that has been under the radar for most of its development. %Gallery-70584%
NintendoWare Weekly: WiiWare demos, Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
This week, we get our first taste of Nintendo's new WiiWare demos. Surprisingly, it didn't take Nintendo that long to flip the switch for North America, considering the company revealed the long-overdue feature -- and day-one annoyance -- only earlier this month. And on top of the free trial versions of select WiiWare titles (five total this week!), there are also two new Virtual Console titles to enjoy, as well as three new DSiWare games. Hit the break for the full list.
Bon Jovi wants you to live on prayer, buy Final Fantasy
Seeing as no fewer than three of Bon Jovi's four members are sporting bad cases of Final Fantasy hair, it makes perfect sense that Square would tap the band to promote Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers in Japan. According to Siliconera, ads for the game will begin airing later this month featuring the song "We Weren't Born to Follow." If you recognize the song, it's likely because it made headlines as Bon Jovi's record-setting 100th title that sounds like a douchey high school's senior class motto.
Bear witness to these Crystal Bearers images
GAME Watch has rounded up the known details of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers's story and setting, including the disappearance of the Yukes and the existence of the Crystal Bearers, a few people with mysterious psychic powers. There's also apparently one crystal "idol" for each species. There's a lot more in the writeup, but after TGS, we're hoping to take a short break from squinting at Japanese text really hard.Luckily, the really relevant part of the article is the huge assortment of screenshots, along with concept art like the piece seen here. Crystal Bearers is out November 12 in Japan and December 26 in North America.
Another quirky Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers trailer
The Crystal Chronicles name has always meant players are in for a more experimental Final Fantasy experience. While the spin-off series is still infused with the essence of the main, Roman numeral'd franchise, it's still like eating an egg that tastes like an orange. The latest Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers trailer highlights this peculiarity quite clearly. Heavy on action, with a little sarcasm and some sexiness ... even for Crystal Chronicles, this game still feels different. You can read our TGS hands-on preview here.
Surprise! FFCC: The Crystal Bearers out in North America this December
Wii gamers looking forward to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers may find it hard to believe that the action-RPG is coming out at all, after years of wondering what was going on with the game. But Square Enix announced a Japan release date of November 26, giving us hope that it would come out worldwide soonish, if not this year.But it is coming out this year in North America! Barely! Crystal Bearers will be out in North America on December 26, just in time for people to return whatever games they received as Christmas gifts from well-meaning relatives. And just in time for students to spend their holiday breaks tossing Cactuars around.%Gallery-70584%
Interview: Square Enix's Akitoshi Kawazu on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Square Enix's Akitoshi Kawazu was the very first person to diverge from Final Fantasy's formula, while simultaneously inventing it. Following the success of the original game, Kawazu created Final Fantasy II, which set precedent by lacking continuity with the world of the first game, but which also added named characters to the game, and removed the experience point system. Kawazu went on to create the SaGa series, which is most closely associated with the producer, as well as the Crystal Chronicles series. In a group interview with Joystiq, 1UP, and Gametrailers, Kawazu spoke about the game that is now breaking away from the Crystal Chronicles formula -- the Wii-exclusive single-player action RPG Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.%Gallery-3302%
Hands-on: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Of all the shocks out of Nintendo's E3 presentation, perhaps nothing was as shocking as the revelation that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is still happening, and even happening in North America. Well, not really. But we must admit that even when we saw the demo station in Nintendo's booth, we didn't really ... believe it was real. And they even let us play it. Really. We played Crystal Bearers. Have a look at some new screens and then check out our impressions after the break.%Gallery-3302%
Watch (and understand!) the Crystal Bearers intro
There's good reason to be excited over the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (wow, what a mouthful!). The production values of this upcoming adventure easily surpass anything we've seen from Square Enix on the Wii. Voice acting, cutscenes, great graphics, rocket launchers, and massive open-world gameplay -- this is the kind of stuff we've wanted to see on the Wii.The game's intro has been released on the web, and GoNintendo discovered a subtitled version for us to enjoy and understand. Check it out after the break.
Finally, some details on FFCC: Crystal Bearers
The latest issue of Famitsu has a pretty extensive preview for the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers, a game that we've only recently seen in action. There's no denying it: Crystal Bearers doesn't look like your average Final Fantasy game, let alone your average Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game. That's because we now know it's set in a uniquely futuristic world that has traded in swords for guns. It's a world where magic has been forgotten and where the Yukes have fought a long, vicious war with the Lilties and lost (as in, like, every Yuke). The Lilties are still around, though, and now use the crystals to help people. Enter Layle, the person who has been all over the trailers and art for the game (and in the image above this very post!). As a Crystal Bearer of the Clavat race, he has some unique abilities that allow him to manipulate gravity (not everyone forgot magic, we suppose). The story of the game revolves around him and his run-in with one of the supposedly extinct Yukes.We won't go into the story any more than that in case you're trying to remain pure, but know that the game plans to use the Wiimote in some interesting ways. Since Layle can manipulate gravity, he can do a variety of different things to the environment around him and the objects in it. He can grab demons and toss them at other demons, kind of like a basic attack (though the Famitsu article says Layle will have different options depending on the demon he grabs). If he tries to grab something heavy or stationary (the example given is a ceiling lamp), then it will send him flying toward that object like he's using a grappling hook.If you want to read IGN's summary of the Famitsu piece, then go ahead and give this a click. For those of you that want to look at the pictures, a scan has found its way online here. Oh, and in case you were wondering why it's taken so long to get details on the game, know that it's due to Square Enix not even having started development on it when it announced the title. Smooth move, Square Enix!
FFCC: Crystal Bearers website demands more visits for more videos
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is coming out. Seriously, it is. If the trailer above looks familiar it's because you've already seen it. It was released in Japan before being removed by Square Enix's evil grasp, only to reemerge on The Crystal Bearers' new global gateway. Square promises new videos are on the way but gamers will have to work to get them.In a diabolical move, Square Enix has decided to unlock two additional trailers for Crystal Bearers at an undisclosed time, presumably when an unknown amount of visitors check the site. Put simply, more visits equal more movies. Shenanigans! Smart shenanigans ... but shenanigans nonetheless. Everyone start clicking!
New Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Crystal Bearers trailer! Really!
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is out in Japan this week, bringing a delightful bonus along: the promised Crystal Bearers trailer, which a helpful YouTube friend has uploaded (though with a watermark to forever remind us of his helpfulness). Head past the break to see the new footage.We haven't seen footage of this game since May 2007, and it wasn't really enough to get a good idea of gameplay. But this trailer features entire, sumptuous minutes of in-game footage, revealing one of the weirdest Final Fantasy games ever -- and that's even if we ignore the incongruous soundtrack! It appears to be an action game in which players pick up items and monsters with a sort of telekinetic power, and toss them. We very much hope that it turns out to be better than Square Enix's other recent physics (and tossing-stuff)-based action game, Dawn of Mana. Unfortunately, the trailer doesn't offer new information about any release plans, but its very inclusion suggests it's coming soon![Via NeoGAF]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time clocks in March 24
Square Enix sent word by Moogle mail today that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time should arrive punctually at North American retail on March 24. Echoes allows Wii and DS gamers to play alongside one another with a bit less hassle than the original Crystal Chronicles. Remember all those link cables?The game will cost $40 on either platform and will allow Wii players to use their Miis, some of which no doubt already look like Final Fantasy creatures. Gallery: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
FFCC: Echoes of Time makes North American debut this March
Those of us who've been seeing what is going on with FFCC: Echoes of Time and happen to live in North America, know that we get our chance to check out the DS-Wii compatible game on March 24th, when both the DS and Wii games will ship to retail. Square Enix has just cleared the game for release in the region, so you can be sure that we'll be looking to check it out then. What about you all? Looking forward to getting your hands on Echoes of Time? Gallery: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
